An interview with Ned Kenyon

As you have probably noticed so far in this Pandemic Papers series, we have a large and loyal alumni network. That will continue to come into clearer focus as you read the many more awesome interviews to come, of which I am very excited to share. Today’s alum, Ned Kenyon, is the glue that keeps together a very formative time in our program’s history – the mid- to late-1990s. As Ned accurately points out here, the foundation for the greatness to come in our program was sowed with the seeds of the teams he was on – specifically the 1998 men’s cross country team that finished second to nationally-ranked Iona College in the MAAC Championships. That meet was one of the greatest days in our program’s history to that point, as our women’s team won the MAAC title for the first time, in 1998. Memories of that sunny Sunday at Van Cortlandt Park still put a smile on my face, and the team photo from that day still hangs in my office.

Anyway, Ned. He keeps us all together. He’s been graduated from Marist for a few decades, but he’s still running strong and he still has big goals for his future. His bonds to his teammate (and yes, to his old coach) remain extremely strong. As the years go by, relationships tend to drift apart. It’s natural. We still care about each other, but life gets in the way and a month turns into a year turns into a few years and before you know it, you haven’t heard from each other. Ned just doesn’t let that happen. He staunchly keeps us together. I hear from Ned frequently – snarky texts (we call each other out, all the time!), emails, calls. He recently set up a Zoom meeting with a bunch of alums from his era. Of course, he did. That’s what Ned does.

Because Ned is the glue, the one who keeps us all together, keeps those ties strong, he has felt the loss of several alums from that era quite strongly. He was particularly close with Eric Bergmann, one of his best friends from Marist with whom he stayed in close touch. Losing Eric to cancer last year was difficult for us all, but Ned took it especially hard. He talks about that below.

Ned is a proud NYPD officer, and we worry about him as a first responder during this pandemic. As you would expect, Ned takes a stoic attitude toward it all. No doubt, he leans on his inner toughness, which I saw during his running career at Marist. As Ned points out, he was never the fastest nor the smartest guy on the team. But you don’t need to be the fastest and the smartest to have toughness and loyalty. Ned leads the league in both of those categories, and more. And so, it’s a natural progression to have the Pandemic Papers take a stroll down memory lane with my boy and my brother, Ned Kenyon.

It was a long time ago but how did you become interested in Marist and what made you choose Marist over other schools? Did I recruit you (I honestly don't remember!)?

I came from a pretty big Catholic, athletic high school in Saint Anthony’s where XC/Track was just as big, if not bigger, than football at that time. I was a decent runner but never a superstar. I ran distance and middle distance but never broke five minutes for the mile until the end of my junior year. I worked hard the summer before my last and ran well enough to be an alternate for states XC, which I felt really proud about. My times improved big time and I knew that I wanted to keep running throughout college so I wanted to pick a college that I know I would feel comfortable with and would also have a great communications program as I wanted to pursue the same career as my brother, which was being a disc jockey. 

As soon as I stepped foot on campus at Marist for a tour, I knew I belonged there. I had applied to Buffalo State, Hofstra (the ‘safe’ school), Indiana U., and Oswego State but Marist was the one. I also met you, Pete, on that visit and you had a small table with just a pamphlet to give to me. When I saw that Daffy Duck tie you had on, I knew you were a character (Coach Pete says: I have no recollection of that tie!). You spoke to me about the values and goals you had for the team, athletically but most importantly, academically. You emphasized that you wanted your athletes to not lose focus one the real reason you go to college to learn and be successful. I immediately told my father Marist was the place I was going. I was totally fine with being a walk on. I just wanted to run.    

What are some of your fondest memories of your time at Marist, both athletically and academically?

Wow, this is a tough question. There are so many memories, that they come in snippets, like Long Dog Run, K&D Deli sandwiches, the Red Baron (Coach Pete says: That was a barely road-worthy Ford van that we drove to way too many practices and meets … it’s unlikely that piece of crap would have or should have passed inspection), McCann Center track, Slugs v Thugs, and the list goes on. But I have to say athletically it’s just doing something I love with a group of guys that were and still are my brothers. But personally, it was finally breaking 2:10 indoors at Manhattan College after what seemed like an endless battle getting over that wall. I think that was my junior year. I ran 2:06 and pretty damn happy about that. Again, I was never a superstar and never strived to be but I did love helping to push others to be successful.

Also, that Class of ‘97 team. I owe them big props to the person I am now. That was my sophomore year and I think that was the year we really came together as a family, as well as a team. I think, Pete, that was the year that started it all up to the present day. Family. That’s what the Marist XC/Track team is now and thanks to guys like Pool, JT, Tim, Eric and Pat, we became that and I can’t thank them enough. They wanted us to be one unit, and we were.  

My senior year, during ‘98 XC, we really came together as a team and I remember our whole goal that year was to get second place, behind powerhouse Iona, in the MAAC championships. There was no way we could touch Iona because they were nationally ranked and had guys like Vinny Mulvey and Ricardo Santos on that team. But we knew we could get second if we worked hard. Rider and Manhattan College were really our only competition. I think each member of that team ran the race of his life. We didn’t all run under 30 (think the team is way faster now), but we all ran with guts like our lives were on the line and we did it. We got second place. The pure adrenaline and excitement on that day I will always remember. 

I was never an academic person. I did not have a stellar GPA (I think it was 2.7 or something) but I just loved taking any history class. That’s always been an interest of mine. I wasn’t able to totally focus on work and classes and I think my grades suffered in that way but I had some great teachers and met some great friends in those classes.  But some of those history classes really opened the door for me to learn different cultures and I have become a military history buff. 

I know you were very close with our recently departed alums -- Eric Bergmann and Karen (Mangan) Carson. Please say a few words about your friendship with them, what they meant to you, what they meant to the program, etc. Also a few words on Greg Salamone, if you could.

This is hard for me Pete as I think about them every day and Eric’s death especially, I still struggle with. Ten years ago, I never would’ve thought that we would lose these three great human beings to such a f**ing sh**ty disease. 

Greg (class of 2001) I remember on his recruiting visit wore a Reese’s PB Cup shirt and when he showed up the next year as a freshman, he was christened ‘Reese’s’. He never seemed to tire, always pushed himself and never said ‘I can’t’. EVER. His long runs were always hard and you never could keep up with him unless he let you. He always laughed and never gave into the typical college peer pressures that so many of us do and I envied him for that. We lost touch for awhile but when I heard he was sick, I reached out to him via email and he got back to me about a week before he passed. I still have that email and I look at it often. 

Karen (class of 1997) was such a positive person and I always remember her smile, because it lit up a room. When I first met her, I was like wow because she seemed intimidating cause she was pretty and popular but she really wasn’t intimidating at all. When I got to know her, she was so friendly and always said hello when I saw her in the halls before class or at practice or at the bar (sorry, Pete!). She was a gutsy runner who excelled at the middle distance and she was always yelling on the sidelines at every race. I know she was closest with the ‘97 group, especially Mary, who became her sister-in-law, but she was just such a good person with a beautiful heart. It saddens me that during this COVID world we are in now, we can’t properly mourn her but I knew we all will and be able to talk about all the thing we loved about her. 

Eric (Class of 1997) was the guy that made you laugh so hard in a library that you would get in trouble. He was one of a kind. A great runner that always looked to push you to work harder. He would stand up for you like a brother. We had a common love for U2 and music, we had the same kind of humor and he was someone that would sit and listen to you and help you with your problems. And when you got in his pick-up, you felt cool. He was one of the first guys my freshman year to really make me feel comfortable as I was struggling with fitting in at school and on the team. We remained close throughout the years and was one of my best friends and the day I had to say goodbye to him in the hospital was probably the worst day of my life and still gets me, even while writing these words. His son, Ethan, I have grown close to and is the spitting image of Eric but might be the faster runner haha.

You've done a lot of running since graduation. What are some of your post-collegiate running highlights? And what are some of your future goals?

    

Ok, yeah, I have run quite a bit because I never lost my love of this sport.  Like I said before, I was never a superstar but I like to think now, in my early 40s, that I am fast for my age. I can still crank out a 5:20 mile (if it’s a one-mile race! Haha) but I think I do pretty well for myself. 

My highlights were 19:38 at the Police Appreciation 5K a couple years ago and a 3:21 in the NYC Marathon back in 2005. I’ve run 1:37 and 1:38 respectively in the last two Covered Bridges Half Marathons in Vermont and finishing in the top three in my age group in several races throughout Long Island and NY. Yes, I am old, and can’t keep up with some of these younger guys but I can hold my own. 

My goal is to finally finish my first ultra. My first two were unsuccessful and I am trying to change my approach to running to concentrate on endurance instead of speed. I have two big ultra 30 milers in the early fall (COVID permitting) and I am looking forward to them. This year is all about distance and clocking in the miles but with the job I have, it’s tough to get consistent training in. But I am just one of those guys that can jump in a race after not training for weeks (I don’t plan on doing that). 

My brother also motivates me as he has now gotten into running too and I act as his coach which is kinda cool. My nephew, Jack, is a junior at Gettysburg College and is one of their top runners on a successful program so it’s great to talk with him about all things running. 

Describe your career path since graduation and how you would up with the NYPD. How long have you been on the job and what is your current assignment?

I really was lost after I graduated Marist. My major – Communications (Radio/TV/Film) - didn’t really have many jobs out there and I didn’t really know the right people. I actually gave myself six months and if nothing turned up, I was going to join the Army.

I did work at a post-production company for five years but it was going nowhere so a friend of mine (Sean St. Clair ‘00 and sometime javelin thrower on the team) became NYPD and told me to take the test. That was in ‘04. I wanted around that time to get into government work (CIA, FBI) and thought law enforcement was a good first step. I took the test, got the call and went into the July 2005 class. The academy training helped me run my best marathon too!

I am completing my 15th year now and it’s had its ups and downs, as I am sure fellow brother in blue Bryan Quinn, whom you interviewed earlier, can attest. I started as a foot patrol cop at the Midtown South Precinct in the crazy streets of midtown Manhattan (sarcasm) and did my field training there or as the department likes to say ‘impact zones’ where they flood high crime areas with cops to try and stem the high rush of robberies and larcenies in the area. After playing tour guide to people from Europe and running after unlicensed street vendors (no one could outrun me. My friends called me gazelle) for six months, I was transferred to the 13th Precinct, in Gramercy, and did eleven and a half years there working the overnight shift and the 4x12 tour. I did narcotics, terrorism (like active shooter), and auto crime training as well as just responding to your daily problems that people have. The area was nice but had its mix of good and bad. There were project houses as well as $5 million brownstones. After all that time, I needed a change so the past two and a half years, I have been with the Evidence Collection Team. I respond to crimes that already occurred, putting the puzzle pieces together of how, when, why, what, and who. I look for fingerprints and collect DNA and it’s satisfying when your work gets recognized by detectives and higher ups and even more when you make an identification on the evidence you collect. I am not looking to advance in rank as I am happy just being a police officer. 

NYPD is on the frontlines of this Coronavirus pandemic. How has it affected you personally, professionally and your precinct? Are you worried about getting the virus and your health? Mostly! How are you DOING!

I try not to give into the paranoia, hysteria, or panic that seems to grip so many people at this time. I have a job to do and that is what I focus on. I am still going into the city, still taking mass transit, and still interacting with the public. If you think about things too much, it will drive you crazy. I try to remain calm and concentrate on each crime scene I go to.

My unit was hit hard by this. There are only about 14 of us and eight got hit with symptoms. Some were positive and negative. But the way my department works, if you have symptoms, you have to go sick immediately then get tested. This creates problems because it means there is more work to do for the remaining members, which I am a member of.  I am glad I do not show any symptoms and have felt fine throughout this whole thing but it can be stressful with the longer hours and work. 

I am worried about my parents and that is the only thing that stresses me. They are in their 80s and my father’s health is not the best so I go and get their groceries and do whatever I can while keeping to social distancing and tell them not to leave the house.  We all stay connected through Zoom and talk so thank God for that.

As you know, our senior student-athletes lost their final season of eligibility (outdoor track) and their final few months of their senior year. What message would you like to impart of them?

Don’t lose your focus. This is a bump in the road. Life is full of ups and downs. But what goes down must go up. This will all pass. Not having a graduation or an outdoor track season is disappointing for sure, but it is not the end of the world. It’s a bump. This virus is scary and what you should be focused on is your family and staying healthy at this time. Everything will fall into place. But don’t get frustrated. Don’t let something like this make you lose faith or hope. Keep running, support each other, do your online classes, stay in contact with each other.

And put down the phones. Talk with your family. Get to know them again. We sometimes get caught up in technology that we forget how to interact as people, just talking face to face. Do things that we normally take for granted or don’t have time for.

But most importantly, breathe. Just breathe. Take a step back and know that this will all pass. 

What message would you like to impart on returning student-athletes and any prospective student-athletes, about Marist?

Marist was the greatest decision I have ever made. The people I have become friends with whether on or off the team, are part of my family and will always be. I wish I could relive ‘95-‘99 over again and even though, some people might say that I live in the past, I don’t mind at all. They were some of my favorite times of my life and you will make great memories too. Pete is a great coach and you will learn so much from him as a runner, but most importantly, as a person. But you can’t get anywhere unless you take your academics seriously. 

Anything else you'd like to add ... 

  

I thank you, Pete, for all that you have done for this program and for me. Without you, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. When I am in a race or just running through the neighborhood, I still hear your voice in my head and still can visualize you standing somewhere near the finish with your watch, yelling out splits or telling me to move or relax and that always motivates and pushes me. EVERY SINGLE TIME. Thank you, Pete.

RUN. REHYDRATE. RUN SOME MORE ...